The Best of Beck

Jeff Beck

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 15, 1995)
• Original Release Date: August 15, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002AAU
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #41,511 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great starter set from a man who must be heard..., December 13, 2000

By	Brian J. Sleeman (Marquette, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When you're dealing with an artist who is not in the traditional mainstream, such as Jeff Beck, a good starter set that tries to tap into each of his various genres with his "hits" from each is a must, imo, unless you've got a lot of money to burn, in which case you could get in touch with me and I could help you...

Anyway, this disc does a good job of that. It showcases him at his best (imo) - when he's left alone with his guitar to provide the vocals - in tracks such as "Freeway Jam," "Beck's Bolero" (a Jimmy Page composition), and particularly "Where Were You," a galactic and breath-taking instrumental solo which provides *the* definitive track of his unique and glowing tone. It also gives a good representation of the few occasions where other artists have taken on the vocal responsibilities, most notably Rod Stewart, who got his first start as a part of the Jeff Beck Group.

It covers a nice mix of his jazz/rock fusion work, more radio-friendly tunes like "People Get Ready" (a favorite of mine even though I'm no fan of Rod Stewart - Beck's guitar's voice blows away Rod's in this elegant and masterfully played cover), and his harder rock covers ("Shapes of Things" and "Jailhouse Rock") that proved to be a prototype for Led Zeppelin.

The only thing I'd ask for in changing this set is including some of his more bluesy covers, specifically from his days with The Yardbirds ('course, he took over for Clapton when the group strayed into pop territory). It's understandable that they've been dropped, however, when you consider the difficulty of the task of trying to include bits and pieces of everything this uniquely talented and varied artist has done.

Jeff Beck is guitar hero of the guitar heroes, and if you're a fan of jazz, rock, techno (this guy basically invented it), or of guitarists in general, it's important to tap into the works of this man and find out why. Don't rush into it with impatience and expect nothing but blaring solos - you won't find much of that here (as David Gilmour of Pink Floyd said, one of the things that makes Jeff Beck great is that he *can* play it loud, but he doesn't need to). Instead you'll need to give it time, patience, and an open mind, and only then you will come to appreciate the true genius of this master of the electric guitar.

This disc provides a solid starting point from which to decide which direction of his you'd like to proceed in should you find one of his styles more to your tastes than others.

My other recommendations for Jeff Beck material:

Three-Pak, any of the albums by The Jeff Beck Group, and his guest work on Roger Waters' "Amused to Death" - that CD being the one that initially turned me onto Jeff with the fiery solos he contributes

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Difficult to Anthologize, April 7, 2003

By	Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

British guitar god Jeff Beck has had one of those careers that is not easy to anthologize. He has a reputation for being "difficult," doesn't sign his own songs and only occasionally writes his own material. Combined with the fact that he's had only a very small number of obvious hits, and any single disc anthology is going to seem inadaquate. Nevertheless "Best of Beck" (the name perhaps an attempt to cash in on the popularity of the "other" Beck?), is an excellent collection for casual fans who want an introduction to his music.

The songs range from the late 60s through the late 80s, and vary widely in sound and style. Beck's early collaborators included Ron Wood and Rod Stewart, who appear on four tracks from "Truth" and "Beck-Ola," still his two best albums. By the later period, he was teaming up with the likes of Terry Bozzio (of Missing Persons!) for two more well chosen selections ("Where Were You" and "Two Rivers"). In between there are collaborations with synthesizer guru Jan Hammer ("Blue Wind"), an ace Beatles cover ("She's a Woman") and his successful mid-80s reunion with Stewart ("People Get Ready"). There may not be much consistency in this collection, but the music is nevertheless mostly excellent. On the downside, the CD booklet is fairly limited, containing only the barest of information about the artist.

Overall, an excellent single disc anthology that draws from a diverse and only fitfully successful career.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some of his best ever, January 31, 2006

By	Michael Wheeler "Stratocaster" (Las Vegas, Nevada United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Best of Beck is an abridged account of Jeff Beck. It covers his entire career after he left the Yardbirds.
Many of his best songs are included such as, The Pump, People Get Ready with Rod Stewart, Freeway Jam from Blow by Blow.
Where were You from Guitar Shop is also included and one of his best ever. You also get Going Down from the second version of the Jeff Beck Group.
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat from Blue Wind is also included.
Jeff Beck has numerous other songs that are not included on this album.
If you want the real deal get Beckology.
Beckology is much more extensive and includes his best songs from the Yardbird days.
There is nothing wrong with this album, its just that there is so much more that is not included.
If you want the Best of Beck in a nutshell then this is for you.